Keefe Notebook 1.15.25

The New Jersey Devils are off to Toronto after a morning practice session. While they've already played the Leafs twice this season, this will be the first game in Toronto, where Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe spent five seasons coaching their NHL team and nearly a decade in the organization.

Check out the Devils Notebook for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Today's Content

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      Devils players discuss their hockey origin stories and inspiring the next generation

      The Practice Details

      Stefan Noesen missed today's practice session after sitting out the game against the Panthers with an illness. Otherwise, all healthy bodies were accounted for during the practice session. Sheldon Keefe moved back to his lines that he started with against Florida, moving Tomas Tatar back onto Nico Hischier's wing, while Dawson Mercer moved to Justin Dowling's.

      Mercer had played much of the third period against the Panthers alongside Timo Meier and Hischier.

      Noesen, Keefe announced, will not travel with the club to Toronto.

      Keefe Returns Home

      Sheldon Keefe, who is a native of Ontario, and spent nine seasons working in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, will return to Toronto for the first time. While his focus remains solely on the New Jersey Devils, there is certainly an extra spark added to homecoming like the one Keefe will experience on Thursday.

      “I’m excited for it. I spent nine years there, the Leafs time, but the Marlies time too, was equally special to me and I was fortunate to essentially raise my family there, in fact, they're still living there," he said.

      “It's great to get back there. I'll be able to have lots of friends and family in the building, and then also, just to see the faces around the arena (…) there's a lot of people throughout the organization and in through the building that that you are used to seeing and are such a big part of your career, that the chance to reconnect with them and see them…it's gonna be a funny walk into the visiting side of things. But I fully expect that once the puck drops, it's gonna be, it's gonna be hockey."

      For a first NHL coaching job, having it be Toronto can be daunting. It's the biggest media market in all of Canada and expectations are enormous for a team that hasn't won the Cup since 1947. Going through that experience has only made Keefe better prepared for whatever was to come next, which is right here in Jersey.

      "I grew a lot through that," Keefe said. "I believe I’ve got thicker skin as a result. I think I’ve been through a lot there that’s helped me grow probably quicker than normal. And I think I’ve come out the other side of it all right and feel like I was all the more prepared coming into this job and I’m sort of ready for anything that comes up."

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          Keefe talks to the media before the team travels to Toronto

          He Said It

          Paul Cotter on how close this New Jersey Devils team is and how that's going to benefit them in the long-run:

          We’ve had a lot of hot streaks and we’ve had a cold streak, as individuals as well. This team is just great together, off the ice everyone is pushing each other, little inside jokes, stuff like that, we have a tight-knit group. I’m sure every team is tight but I think ours is a little bit of a different level. The Prague trip helped, getting everybody close right away and when you have a team like that, wins, losses it doesn’t matter. We’re tight. And at the end of the day we’ll get better around those wins and losses because of that.

          Devils Host 'Next Gen Weekend'

          The New Jersey Devils will host their Next Generation Weekend presented by RWJBarnabas Health on January 18-19, 2025, when they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers for a 12:30 PM contest on Saturday and at 1:00 PM on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators at Prudential Center. The Devils will celebrate the next generation of our fans and youth hockey in New Jersey. The team will recognize the Dr. John J. McMullen Service to New Jersey Hockey Award winner and Little Devils members will be taking over different game day roles. The first 9,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will receive an Ondrej Palat toy block set courtesy of RWJBarnabas Health.

          *Read More about the Next Gen Weekend here!*